Would you count them if the medication was something that was originally created independently in a lab (that is it wasn’t being worked on as plant derived), but then we later find out the substance occurs in certain plants that were previously reported to be of medicinal use? What about substances that come from nature, but weren’t being used by herbalists for the purposes that they are now indicated, such as penicillin and lovastatin (found in certain fungi including oyster mushrooms)? As far as I know, penicillin mold wasn’t used as an antibiotic, and oyster mushrooms weren’t used for purposes of lowering cholesterol, but yet medications using the same active ingredients are prescribed.
As I pointed out above, mouldy bread was used as an antiseptic.
No and no. I guess I didn’t spell it out in the OP very well, but what I’m really interested in is cases where the herbal medicine was accepted by at least some people as an effective treatment which is why that plant was investigated by more recent researchers to identify the active ingredient. Quinine is a perfect example.
The problem is that we don’t always know why a particular plant was investigated. However, in the case of penicillin, we know it was an accidental discovery and not intentionally investigated because it worked in herbal medicine.
OK, with a little more time to search today: the Kew cite states that Madagascar periwinkle was used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat leukaemia, but that’s the only time I have seen that claim made.
This review specifically contradicts Kew’s claim in a pretty detailed way -
In 1949, it was serendipitously discovered by Halina Czajkowski Robinson… it might have a role in lowering white cell count (5). This experiment led to the isolation and purification by Charles Beers of the alkaloids, vincristine, and vinblastine in 1958. Vinblastine, which stops cell division (mitosis), can be used in the treatment of breast, ovarian, lung, testicular and bladder cancer as well as Hodgkin’s disease (9). Vincristine is a revolutionary compound that is now said to have raised the survival rate in childhood leukaemia from less than 10% in 1960 to 90% today (8).
So yeah, good spot, it looks like Kew are in error and I think I had better delete Madagascar periwinkle from the list.
j
As this thread appears to be running down, here’s Dara Ó Briain’s contribution to the debate.
j
Rauvolfia serpentina (Indian snakeroot, sarpagandha), long used in Indian herbal medicine, the source of reserpine for lowering hypertension.
St Johns Wort, hypericin is the extract. Treats Mild depression and is being studied for treatment of cutaneous T cell lymphoma.
I have a hard time believing that that plant was used in herbal medicine to reduce blood pressure. Or even that high blood pressure was a condition that traditional healers thought needed treating..
This is one that I meant to include, or at least research for, the OP. But I forgot to do that.
After research, I couldn’t even verify that hypericin is available by prescription, although the plant is available as a dietary supplement. It’s generaly agreed that the plant treats depression, though.
Read my words more carefully because I chose them carefully. I said that reserpine derived from Rauvolfia lowers hypertension. Indian herbalists had been using the plant to treat depression. Gandhi used it to relieve stress.
You didn’t get the question then. I wanted drugs derived from herbal plants where the two were used to treat the same condition. That is, the plant was commonly used by herbalists to treat some disease or set of symptoms and then some researcher looked into that plant to find the active ingredient that did that treatment.
I’m not well informed of the pharmacology, but…
Willow bark → Salicylic acid (asperin)
Foxglove (digitalis) → Digoxin (used for heart disease)
Stretching a little… psylocybin mushrooms have shown potential as a treatmemt for depression, although they have not been approved for such use.
Bit of a hijack, but in the video game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. one of the medicines available to treat radiation exposure is call Vinca, and now I know where the name came from.
Have you seen this publication?
never mind
Well, in that case it still counts because it was used by herbalists as stress relief and hypertension correlates with stress. That counts as close enough by my interpretation of your rules.
I’ve now read it. While it’s interesting, it doesn’t mention any specific instances of drugs/plants that I’m interested in.